Was I not chosen? No. This was thrown on me by some cursed lineage I knew nothing about until a few weeks ago. But, I did take the gem in the first place from Bryden’s hut. I could’ve left it. Put it back that same night. Anything. Yet I didn’t. I tried once, and Graven stopped me. He knew I wasn’t thinking straight. When the Marauders attacked, I could’ve handed over the gem to them directly. Not Kiyne. Not Graven. No one would’ve stopped me then, yet I didn’t give in.
“You’re wrong,” I stated firmly.
“Oh?” they looked at me with a curious smirk.
“I could’ve given up. I could’ve given in but I didn’t. I learned to fight because I wanted to. I kept the gem because I wanted to. I’m here because I want to be. I want to succeed. There won’t be peace, or freedom, or quiet for me, or anyone if I don’t succeed here and now. My friends are depending on me. Unadine. The Arcanon. The Ethereal. They’re all looking up to me. No one forced my hand. This was my choice. This journey is mine and this pathway is my own.”
“You believe in false hope.”
“No. I feel it. I know it. I feel it in my heart. My soul. When I sleep, or eat, or even breathe. I know what I must do, what I have chosen to do. Despite how my mind or heart fights me. I know deep down the truth. And you, nor any other trial will stop me from succeeding here!”
Anger. Fury. Passion. Several emotions fell upon me as the dust picked up again. I squinted, trying to keep the dirt from my eyes as it whirled my doppelganger out of sight.
She’s true.
True!
Ascend, Alina.
Ascend!
Their voices screamed out to me one final time before fading with the dust storm as quickly as it came in. The sun shone again, the sky cloudless and clear. The breeze was calm, low, and gentle, and the rumbling ground had ceased.
I smiled to myself, looking up at the grand staircase that stood before me. I took a step forward, ready, willing to finish this journey and find out what, exactly, I was capable of.
Chapter Eleven
I suppose I overestimated my own ambition because after the third or fourth, I forget really, round the tower, I was beginning to lose steam. I’d trudged up mountainsides, navigated narrow escarpments and dangerous bridges, even climbed the most jagged trees; I wouldn’t let this defeat me.
Finally, I came to a break, a small center where I could climb in and take a break from the never-ending circle of stairs. The Unalter seemed riddled with age and decay and I couldn’t help but wonder if its wear was truly from its years or, from war. Had the Further always been a land of the dead, or was it something much greater in a past life?
As I took time to catch my breath, my mind once again began to race with the potential outcomes I may be faced with. I still had a trial or two ahead, and Mara’s stability in the Further was dwindling. Not only were the lives in Hulknaut on the line but, now those of the Ethereal, and the Further as well. I took a few deep breaths and began my ascension once more. I wouldn’t let fading sun, nor wind, nor companions, deter me from my goal.
Round and round and round again as I climbed ever higher. I felt as if clouds would soon form below my feet and that I’d be amongst stars if I continued any higher. What did the Skyborns even look like now? Were they ghosts? Or were they like Yefilda? My mind was a mess of questions until finally, just as darkness encroached, I reached the top.
Five pillars stood before me, circling the roofless room as if they were once supports to a much higher platform. Each one displayed similar carvings to those around the forge grounds in the Ethereal. The Body had the water droplets falling into the palm of a hand closest to me. The Spirit showed wind swirling outward from an outstretched arm next. The World displayed vines and trees that stretched over a praying servant on the far end. The Heart showed the flicker of flames from snapping fingers on the inner side next to the World. And the Mind rest at the center, with an open eye on a forehead with all eyes always watching the one before it.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t expect tombs or statues instead but, only small steps stood beneath each pillar, like pedestals to welcome praise and prayer by those who’d successfully conquered the Unalter’s stairs long ago.
“Alina,” voices began to whisper once more.
I turned to look, faced only by nightfall and the shadow it now cast upon my only exit. My only light source came from the moon above, gracing me with its dazzling white luminescence as I tried to find my bearings again. If I stepped too far, I could fall right off the edge, and that would put an end to everything right then and there.
Alina!
True!
The voices continued, almost beckoning me as I tried to stay still and fight off running to hide or discover what was trying to call me. Ancient torches began to sputter and ignite around me as the voices began to harmonize, calling to me louder each time.
I covered my ears, the voices nearly deafening me like the ringing of bells before I’d finally had enough.
“Stop!” I commanded.
Silence. Finally.
I sighed, uncovering my ears and almost expecting the voices to start again but, there was nothing. Slowly the voices were replaced by the sound of approaching footsteps, their pace calm as they entered the room from the darkness of the staircase. Large white hoods veiled their faces from me as one by one they stood before me, gravitating the room before standing on the small pedestals before the five pillars.
The first to unveil their hood was the World; bright eyes, coloured violet, glimmered in the moonlight as she looked upon me. The Skyborn of World – loyal, and morally righteous, she was the first to sacrifice herself for the greater good of both the Ethereal, and Hulknaut. She set the precedent for the others to follow.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alina,” she said softly. “My name is Mederia.”
I’m not sure if I expected Giants, or booming voices to continue, or glowing figures at this point. All my previous thoughts seemed to escape me when the raven-haired beauty of Mederia graced me with her visage.
“It seems you’ve passed our trials, and still you stand tall, willing to fight, and willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good of all our realms.”
I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know whether to bow, ask questions, or give praise so I stood silent, only hoping my expression was one that was welcoming enough to suit their words.
“Of course,” I mumbled. “Not all justice is true.”
She smiled in reply, her thin lips spread over her smooth complexion.
The second to unveil themselves was the Body, which both confused and astounded me. A tall man stood, his hair peppered grey and its length neatly tucked into a high ponytail. Wrinkles and lines fought each other for dominance over his dark-skinned face as he smiled at me.
“I am Stein, Alina. And you have faced my trial throughout this journey, beginning when you stepped foot in the Further,” he said proudly.
I stood perplexed; when had the body challenged me? I’d encountered no companion or guard, so how had I completed his trial?
“Each time your emotions flared, you struggled to maintain control. You wanted so fiercely to let loose that power within you but you never did. You were strong, determined, and diligent. Never letting your body be consumed by your feelings.”
I remembered time and time again the glowing embers at my fingertips and the fires that threatened to erupt but not once did I let them. Though Yefilda had helped me once before, she wasn’t always there to calm me. Only I was there. Only I could keep myself calm and collected.
“I’ve grown,” I replied with a grin.
He smiled, his deep brown eyes revealing a great deal of pride, and I assumed to be surprised.
“You are most brave,” he responded.
The Mind soon followed, revealing a young Elven woman with a freckled pink complexion, and a mess of dirty blond hair that was unfurled around her like wildfire. She stared at me with curiosity and glee; her ocean-like eyes studying me like
waves to a shoreline.
“I’m Ferah!” she sang. “You deliberated. Hummed. Cooed, and even second-guessed yourself but you never swayed.”
I wanted to laugh, watching as she rocked back and forth like she was dancing to some unheard song. I had at least expected the mind to be more refined, and calm but I suppose with a wealth of knowledge like Ferah’s, she took joy in the simple things.
“I want to save them. All of them. But had I left...”
“You were courageous. To see such horrors unfolding before you and yet, you held your ground.”
“I will continue to stand and fight, for all of them.”
Ferah clasped her hands together, jumping up in excitement.
“You’ve come a long way,” the fourth shadowy figure interrupted.
A young girl stood before me, her cloak easily hiding her shape as choppy brown hair bounced beneath her hood as it was pulled away. Mirror-like eyes reflected my own, and I knew the Spirit stood before me, once more a near-replica of myself.
“I am Irena,” she said directly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my own true self; so long that I’ve forgotten what I actually look like, but I imagine I’d look somewhat like you.”
I felt a little saddened for her, she sounded young, even if she was only replicating my image for herself. To forget who you are seemed like a fate worse than death.
“I sacrificed my image so others wouldn’t have to. So, they would not lose themselves to war. So, you would not lose yourself,” she added.
“I am Alina. Daughter of Signy of Hearthmound. The Skyborn of Heart!”
She smirked in response.
“You are that. I challenged your desires. Your will. Your pursuit. Yet you refused my offerings and held to your word.”
“I’m not a quitter,” I replied firmly.
“So, it seems, but you’ve still one trial left,” Irena said with a bit of a laugh.
I stared, slightly confused. Had I failed her test?
She shook her head before the four of them turned to stare upon the fifth pillar, the Heart, and the figure before it.
“The last trial is one of true reflection. For you are the Skyborn of Heart and here before you, stands the very same Heart,” they announced in unison.
The Heart let down her hood, her emerald eyes ones of ferocity and true determination. Auburn hair danced along her shoulders, draped in front in a heap of mixed braids and tresses that flowed over her chest to her waist. I could feel her warmth radiating as she smiled upon me.
“Hello, Alina,” she said soothingly. “I am Signy, the Skyborn of Heart.”
Chapter Twelve
It couldn’t be. My mother had died in the fire when I was only young. Her legacy as Skyborn had been passed down to me, as it had been to her. How did she stand as Heart? How did she stand here at all?
I wanted to run to her, to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything. I wanted to laugh, to sing, to cry for her. My emotions were jumbled so much that not even tears sprang from my eyes and yet somehow, behind her gaze, I felt she knew everything. She felt the same way I did.
She stepped down from her perch, sensing my dilemma as I’d expected and tenderly placed her hands on my cheeks, just as she did when I was a girl.
“You’re alright my sweet girl,” she said in her soothing voice.
She’d always done this to calm me. To bring me back to my senses whenever I became flustered or upset, usually over the most minuscule things. Would the others scold her for it? I didn’t know, nor did I care. Right now, my mother was here with me again and all I desperately wanted was for time to slow down.
“How?” I stuttered.
“I wasn’t sure either,” she replied. “But it was necessary.”
“The village. Your legacy! -”
“I was the sacrifice. When the time had come, Odaer’s power had passed and it was I that was assigned to the Beast Gem, the Gem of the Wild, and its power. The duty to end its influence fell to me. But Odaer took that from me, and burdened it with you.”
I breathed in deep, trying to make sense of everything happening around me.
“When I died, I was still tasked with ending the gem and its influence in our worlds. Though my own power was lost, my duty was not. Now I stand, as your final trial, Alina.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“You may relinquish your power unto me. I will be restored in the Hulknaut, and you will no longer be burdened with this duty.”
It sounded too good to be true. To get my mother back, and be able to fight alongside her against Odaer and his men. What would he think of his daughter and granddaughter teaming up to fight him? It made me smile.
“However, I am only able to take my place as Skyborn to make the final sacrifice and end this war once and for all,” she added, the sorrow evident in her eyes.
I knew what she meant. She could come back, only once, to make the choice her father had taken from her. The gem would be destroyed, my mother would, once more, be gone, but the war would be over.
“No more talking to Dragons?” I began. “No more strange powers or gifts? No one hunting me down?”
She shook her head, “just my sweet Alina.”
Could I truly renounce my power so easily? My mother had been prepared to do it before. She was ready. She knew the outcome. But now it was my turn, or was it? I could give it all to her and go back to my normal life but, would it stop? Would Odaer truly be satisfied watching his daughter die a second time to save our worlds? He didn’t want the gem for power, hell, he didn’t really want it at all. All it did was help his army to grow. If he truly wanted to attack the Ethereal, he could, and he’d still do a lot of damage with just mortals at his back. No. My mother’s sacrifice would be meaningless.
I felt the pain in my chest as my mind raced with the possibilities. I could be free of this burden, but watch as my mother was torn from me again all in vain. Or I could take this power and fight against my grandfather, and do what he couldn’t - unite the wild and take down my enemies once and for all. I could restore Mara’s physical form. Rescue Kiyne. I had made my decision.
“I’m sorry,” I said, taking my mother’s hands in my own. “This burden is mine to bear now.”
She smiled at me, half upset, and the other half proud. I could see the tears begin to stream down her pale cheeks as she tried to fight them. My mother wasn’t one to display any emotions, even in my lifetime.
“I will make this right. I swear. I can’t risk Odaer continuing on, filled with more hatred at losing you a second time.”
The others began to whisper behind us.
“What are they saying?” I asked.
She closed her eyes, finally pulling away from me but choosing to take hold of my hands instead.
“You’ve completed your training,” she said quietly. “You’ve passed your trials, Alina. You are a true Skyborn.”
“What about you?” I asked, concerned now for not only her position on the Unalter, but her afterlife as well.
“I think I’ll go join your father,” she said with a smile. “He’s been waiting in Halfden’s Fields for what, 10 years now?”
“Halfden’s Fields?”
“The resting place for the greatest warriors from all realms,” Stein replied, coming down to join us. “I know of no other place where someone like Signy should spend their eternity.”
I smiled as my mother pinched my cheeks one last time.
“Go on now, I hear you can talk to Dragons after all. So... show us what you’ve got!”
Leave it to my mother to challenge me one final time. I closed my eyes, the sights of the Further spanning before me as I searched for Graven. The sightlines were now much more expanded than I’d previously been witness to. I knew how to communicate but being able to properly visualize, and see in real time, was a different sensation. I could hear his breaths and feel his scales, his spirit as he waited at the edge of the Further; loyal and protective.
“Graven,” I said, looking down upon his form as he lay sprawled in the grass.
“Alina?” he asked, perking up.
“I need you to come to the Unalter. It’s time,” I said. “And hurry! Mara only has a little time left before she’s trapped here!”
I felt the wind from his wings as he spread them out into the sky.
“Hmm,” he added. “It seems now I can follow the path of not only your voice but your scent, and spirit as well.”
“I’ve completed my trials,” I responded.
“Then our souls are now entwined for eternity.”
Chapter Thirteen
I leapt onto Graven as he circled below, his form was large enough that the risk of missing the landing only frightened me a tiny bit. I trusted Graven to catch me and ensure my safe landing.
I bid farewell to the Skyborns, and my mother, as Graven and I made haste in the cover of night. How long did Mara have left? I hoped it wasn’t too late. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. Not now. Not ever.
I knew I hadn’t left Mara and Yefilda too far behind but in the dark they’d be easy to miss, save for the speck of firelight that flickered below us.
“There!” I said, pointing down toward the fire.
He stretched, pulling his wings in tightly before diving down toward the small flicker of light in the darkness. The open field made for another easy landing, and I jumped from Graven’s back to Mara’s side the moment we hit the ground.
“How is she?” I asked, looking at Yefilda with worry.
“She’s alright but, it’s over-taking her quickly,” she stated.
I looked down to see Mara’s legs, hands, and mid-section consumed. It was only a matter of time before it overtook her completely, binding her here for eternity.
“Mara, the trials are complete. We can go home now,” I said softly, hoping to stir a response from her.
Mara looked over at me with lifeless eyes, barely able to hold her own head up to even look at me.
“Go where? We are home, Alina.”
I gulped, hard.
Yefilda leaned down over her, “Mara, you’re not thinking straight. This is not your home.”
Trials Page 5